You have your outfit picked out, your tuition is paid and your backpack is packed. It’s time to start your college adventure. Whether you are fresh out of high school or this is just your first NAIT experience, there may be a few things you have yet to learn about our community.
Did you know that NAIT is the largest apprenticeship trainer in Canada? With many different programs and courses to offer, everyone can feel right at home in our busy halls and classrooms.
One of the coolest things about NAIT is its student life. We are lucky to have very many awesome events to take part in. Whether it’s an Ooks’ hockey game or an afternoon of karaoke at The Nest Tap House and Grill, there is always something going on. All of the bulletin boards around campus are filled with posters of events around the school and NAIT’s social media accounts also post events regularly.
Many people aren’t aware of some of the fantastic perks that come along with being a NAIT student. On campus we have a retail meat store that is open from 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays, where you can buy meat cheaper than you can get at the grocery store. Along with the Nest, which has daily lunch and drink specials (wings are half off on Tuesdays … you’re welcome), we also have Ernest’s if you’re feeling fancy, which is a student run restaurant that takes reservations throughout the school year. Not to mention that showing your NAIT student ID gets you 10 per cent off at the Sobey’s liquor store across from the LRT station (Please drink responsibly). Don’t forget to deck yourself out in some NAIT swag that can be purchased at the book- store while you are stocking up on all your textbooks.
You are not a real college student if you don’t have at least one class that you struggle with. Everyone is in their program to succeed and find a career that they love. Luckily, we have an easily accessible tutoring program that allows you to get help for your courses, either online or in person. Once you’ve made it through those tough courses you also have access to career counselling and planning. You can breathe a sigh of relief now. Maybe it’s presentations that you need help with and, if that’s the case, you can book a collaboration room so you can get in the practice that you need. Look up the Academic Resources tab under Student Life in your NAIT portal for more information.
If you feel like getting some exercise, you can check out the gym and some other cool options such as squash, swimming and drop-in skating. If you are more of a team player, drop-in hockey could be for you. NAIT even offers free intramurals, so you can get a team together to play your favourite sport against other teams.
There are so many great things that make being a NAIT student awesome. There is always something exciting happening for students to take part in and options to make life in college much smoother. For more information on anything in this article or if you want to learn more, check out the student services option on your NAIT portal. Hope this information helps, as it holds the key to health and happiness this school year. Cheers!
Vicki Formanski
Image via NAIT
